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New Braunfels Herald Zeitung (Newspaper) - June 29, 2011, New Braunfels, Texas
NBPD: MAN ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS SELF WITH RIFLE news, s
50«New Braunfels
WEDNESDAY
JUNE 29,2011
herald-zeitung.com
SERVING NEW BRAUNFELS SINCE 1852Marine dies in Afghanistan
► LEGISLATURE
Ed cuts,Every drop of water matters. NBU
Find out the latest on landscape watering restrictions at nbutexas.com or call (830) 608-8925 for more information! Here ls what m?tters-
John Farias
By Dalondo Moultrie
The Herald-Zeitung Felix Farias received a birthday note from his son, a U.S. Marine serving in Afghanistan, a couple days ago and wrote a reply he intended to mail the next morning.
Now, Felix Farias will be delivering that letter in person, as he intends to put it in his son's casket.
Lance CpI. John Farias, 20, of New Braunfels, was shot dead, his mother Penny Farias said, in a firefight Tuesday
morning against Taliban members. She said two Marines met her at her home Tuesday and told her that her only child had been killed.
"I loved his laugh. He has a great laugh," Penny said. "He's a crazy kid. He liked to have
lots of fun, to party."
John was deployed with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Bravo Company, 3rd Platrnn to Sangin, Afghanistan. He signed up right after graduating in
See FARIAS, Page 14
THE RIVER WILD: HERALD-ZEITUNG SPECIAL REPORT
TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN
bill pass
AUSTIN (AP)
The Texas Legislature on Tuesday approved a budget hill that cuts $4 billion from public schools and legislation to reform the state's hurricane insurance association.
After the votes, the Senate called it quits on the 30-day special session a day Related before ■ Comal ISD today's expects to lose deadline. $6 9M in state House law- funds, makers Page 3
planned to
meet this morning for a last-ditch attempt to pass a bill criminalizing invasive body searches by airport security officers.
One bill that Gov. Rick Perry wanted approved concerning tougher immigration law enforcement was set to fail without a final vote in the House.
Perry called lawmakers into the special session primarily to deal with the budget and hurricane insurance bills. The education cuts hill was deemed necessary to balance the state budget.
Democrats, however, warned the cuts go too deep and could lead lex al districts to fire or furlough thousands of teachers and school staff and raise property taxes to make up the difference.
Lawmakers also passed cost-savings hills that would allow school districts to furlough teachers, change how school materials are purchased and expand Medicaid managed care to the Rio Grande Valley.
The measure approved Tuesday changes distribution formulas for public schools to allow the state to give school districts less money than current law. It spreads the $4 billion cut over two years — 6 percent across-the-board cuts in 2012 and $2 billion in targeted cuts in 2013.
Republicans say tlx1 school cuts were necessary. Supporters argue that schml districts are bloated in administrative salaries and costs and could spend some of that money in the classrrxim.
WEATHER, 11
BRIAN MIKESH. 5
GOODWIN FRAZIER ELEMENTARY
O
A few clouds but very hot
High: 100 Low: 74
Abbyi- .....122009 Canyon High grad killed in firefight with Taliban forces TWIA
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Vtol.158 I No. 197
1 section, 14 pages
Prohibition may, may not be legal on Comal River
By Greg Bowen
The Herald-Zeitung
TT et's say New Braunfels City
I Council wanted to ban alco-
■ i hoi on the Comal River,
JLmJ where drinking is contributing to lots of bad behavior among tubers.
Council could simply pass an ordinance and, presto, tubing would become a booze-free activity, right? Wrong.
City River Manager Nathan Pence said the river isn't the city's to regulate. The Comal River belongs to the state.
"Brtsfca'tty, what it comes down to is that it's a state-owned waterway," Pence said. "The City of New Braunfels does not own the water or the river channel itself. The state does. The people of Texas do."
So could the state do a ban for the Comal River?
Miller says ‘maybe’
State Rep. Doug Miller of New Braunfels said it might be possible.
Miller said he'd have to research the constitutional issues and talk to the attorney general and the Texas
See BAN, Page 14
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A Herald-Zeitung special report
Series at a glance
Today
■ MOB MENTALITY. Staff writer Dalondo Moultrie talks to experts about the anatomy of a riot and crowd dynamics. Could something like that happen on the Comal?
■ POLICE TRAINING: What is the atmosphere at the police station nowadays and what are they bracing for?
■ JURISDICTION: In Texas, there's a line on the bank where the water goes from being city property to a “navigable river* — what's the difference and how does it affect regulations and the city's ability to control behavior?
Thursday
■ RIVER HEALTH: A man who has been diving the Comal River every day for decades says he's never seen it this bad. The bed of the river is nothing but garbage and there is no life in the river.
■ HOW OOES IT WORK ELSEWHERE?: Ellijay, 6a., has banned alcohol on the rivers and requires life jackets; Galveston and several other Texas beach communities charge for use of the beach; Steamboat Springs, Colo, set limits on the number of tubers that can be on the river each day and also limited the stretch of river they are allowed to use under the extensive Yampa River Management Plan
Friday
■ FOURTH OF JULY What is the city's strategy / predictions for the Fourth of July weekend on the river?
■ WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?: What is the tourist industry's role in river behavior? They work to bring people here, do they have a responsibility to help control behavior or tourist attitudes? What about the outfitters? What is their responsibility in controlling behavior? Liquor stores — do they have a responsibility? The city? Ami what happened to personal responsibility?
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Photos by LAURA McKENZIE | Herald-Zeitung A river-goer holds up a beer can Saturday while tubing the Comal River in New Braunfels.
Police concerned about aggression
By Dalondo Moultrie
The Herald-Zeitung Law-breaking activity by tubers on the Comal River in New Braunfels ebbs and flows.
In some years, a New Braunfels Police Department spokesman said, crowds get more out of hand than in other years. Page 14 This year happens to be one of the bad years.
Already in this young tourist season, two NBPD officers have been assaulted, and officers have tried to use electroshock weapons — once successfully and once the wet weapon malfunctioned — on tuoers who got out of hand. A higher number of tubers and higher number of aggressive incidents have
Related
■ Experts talk about the anatomy of c riot and crowd dynamics. Could that happen on the Comal River?
Sgt. Chris Snyder, left, gives instructions to river patrol officers in the briefing room at the New Braunfels Police Department early Saturday afternoon.
given the city's officers cause for concern.
"The higher incidents of aggression are a concern from the chief on down to the newest officer hired," said Sgt. Chris Snyder, who oversees the
department's river detail. "I asked the chief for increased staffing a week after Memorial Day. I told him the increased numbers and he gave it to me."
See POLICE, Page 14
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